Menu

United States Institute of Peace

Home ▶ Events

Implementing Dayton in Brcko

Date: Monday, November 24, 1997 / Time: 4:00am - 6:00am 

Share This
Print the Page

On November 24, 1997, His Excellency Vice President Ejup Ganic of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina spoke on "Implementing Dayton in Brcko" at an informal program sponsored by the United States Institute of Peace. He focused his remarks on the political status of the city of Brcko.

From left to right: Bosnia Ambassador Sven Alkalaj, USIP Exec. Vice President Harriet Hentges, Bosnia-Herzegovina Vice President Ejup Ganic, USIP Senior Fellow John Menzies
From left to right: Bosnia Ambassador Sven Alkalaj, USIP Exec. Vice President Harriet Hentges, Bosnia-Herzegovina Vice President Ejup Ganic, USIP Senior Fellow John Menzies

Control of Brcko has been hotly contested since May 1992, when the Bosnian Serbs gained military control over the city, and it was a paralyzing sticking point at Dayton in 1995. To keep negotiations from bogging down, all parties agreed to a two year "cooling off" period before making a decision about its status. Last year a committee made up of representatives of the Federation and the Republic of Srpska and an International Arbitrator decided to postpone the decision concerning control of Brcko until March of 1998.

Vice President Ganic argued that postponing this decision again will increase incentives to return to violent conflict in the area. Decisions must be made that will give the people access to vital rail lines, highways and trade links with Europe; because Bosnia is landlocked between Croatia and Serbian territories it lacks direct access to potential economic partners in Europe. This is important because economic growth in this area is the most effective means of preventing a return to war.

Dr. Ganic lives and works in Sarajevo, where he was elected in the first democratic elections in Bosnia-Herzogovina in 1990 as a Member of the Presidency. A scientist and professor of thermo-dynamics (Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1976), in May of 1994 he was appointed to his current position. The views expressed here are his alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Institute of Peace.

Speakers

  • Ejup Ganic
    Vice President of Bosnia-Herzegovina

Media Inquiries

Please contact Ian Larsen (+1.202.429.3870) or Lauren Sucher (+1.202.429.3822) in the Office of Public Affairs and Communications.

Latest Publications

Dean Cheng on China’s New Military Force

Dean Cheng on China’s New Military Force

Tuesday, May 7, 2024

By: Dean Cheng

China’s military structure is not prone to change. But in a shocking move, Chinese leader Xi Jinping recently established a new military entity focused on “information dominance” in future wars, with many observers “left wondering what this is going to mean and why they did it,” says USIP’s Dean Cheng.

Type: Podcast

It’s Not Too Late for Solomon Islands’ Truth and Reconciliation Commission

It’s Not Too Late for Solomon Islands’ Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Monday, May 6, 2024

By: Benjamin Afuga

Established in 2008, the Solomon Islands Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was tasked with investigating the country’s civil conflict that killed 200 people and displaced more than 20,000 others between 1998 and 2003. The commission was the first of its kind in the Pacific Islands region, and its proponents hoped it could heal people’s lasting trauma by addressing human rights violations, promoting national unity and fostering reconciliation.

Type: Analysis

Peace Processes;  Reconciliation

Despite Daunting Economic Headwinds, Afghan Private Sector Shows Signs of Life

Despite Daunting Economic Headwinds, Afghan Private Sector Shows Signs of Life

Thursday, May 2, 2024

By: William Byrd, Ph.D.

Three years after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the country’s economy remains in a dismal state marked by depression-level price deflation, high unemployment and a collapse of GDP. Still, while the bad news for Afghans is well known, less visible are some green shoots in the country’s private sector that, if properly encouraged, could mitigate the situation. These range from small business activity to Taliban plans for major projects to the potential for an uptick in investment. Clearly nothing in those developments can stimulate a strong economic revival.

Type: Analysis

Economics

What Haiti Needs from the U.S. and International Community

What Haiti Needs from the U.S. and International Community

Wednesday, May 1, 2024

By: Georges Fauriol

Despite obvious distractions from crises in other corners of the world, Haiti’s deepening disaster is belatedly drawing wider international attention. Critics of U.S. policy toward Haiti are emerging from all corners of the political spectrum — and there is much to be critical of, particularly if the timeframe is stretched to cover Haiti's political experience since the late 1980s and the transition from the Duvalier dictatorships. But in the here and now, these assessments short charge the admittedly tough odds of the most recent Caribbean Community- (CARICOM) managed mediation efforts from which has emerged Haiti’s Presidential Council, a transitional governance structure for the country.

Type: Analysis

Democracy & Governance;  Global Policy

View All Publications